Brothers I think we are: Notes on Native American oral literature
Native Americans were obviously not a homogenous group. Languages, political norms, economies and religious beliefs all differed widely. As a result, their oral literature is diverse. However, similarities — particularly regarding the inclusion of religious/spiritual components — are present.Introductory notesLiterature originates from oral traditions.Europeans were really into translations of indigenous oral performances.Native American creation stories are similar to the Book of Genesis (an...
Brothers I think we are: Notes on Native American oral literature
Native Americans were obviously not a homogenous group. Languages, political norms, economies and religious beliefs all differed widely. As a result, their oral literature is diverse. However, similarities — particularly regarding the inclusion of religious/spiritual components — are present.Introductory notesLiterature originates from oral traditions.Europeans were really into translations of indigenous oral performances.Native American creation stories are similar to the Book of Genesis (an...
Governed by words: Literary notes on America's beginning
The following is a collection of notes compiled from the introduction to the tenth edition of The Norton Anthology of American Literature: Beginnings to 1820. Its purpose is to summarize the key points made by the author.What is an American?Michel Guillaume Jean de Crèvecœur, in Letters from an American Farmer, described the American as a “new man, who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas, and form new opinions.” He described Americans as English, Scotch, Irish, Fre...
Governed by words: Literary notes on America's beginning
The following is a collection of notes compiled from the introduction to the tenth edition of The Norton Anthology of American Literature: Beginnings to 1820. Its purpose is to summarize the key points made by the author.What is an American?Michel Guillaume Jean de Crèvecœur, in Letters from an American Farmer, described the American as a “new man, who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas, and form new opinions.” He described Americans as English, Scotch, Irish, Fre...
How woke do you want it? A hot take on the Norton Anthology of American Literature's "Preface to the Tenth Edition"
After going to print on the first of this month, the newest version of the Norton Anthology of American Literature was delivered to me by the exceptionally-rude DHL deliveryman today — and, after reading the "Preface to the Tenth Edition," it is clear that this version of the quintessential doorstop promises to be (unsurprisingly) the wokest version yet. "Diversity" is certainly the keyword, here — given that it is repeated in place of synonyms throughout — as the preface tries to do its job ...
How woke do you want it? A hot take on the Norton Anthology of American Literature's "Preface to the Tenth Edition"
After going to print on the first of this month, the newest version of the Norton Anthology of American Literature was delivered to me by the exceptionally-rude DHL deliveryman today — and, after reading the "Preface to the Tenth Edition," it is clear that this version of the quintessential doorstop promises to be (unsurprisingly) the wokest version yet. "Diversity" is certainly the keyword, here — given that it is repeated in place of synonyms throughout — as the preface tries to do its job ...
